EREMURUS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



ERICA. 



563 



for their well-being is protection from 

 slugs, which soon scent them from afar. 

 I keep a perforated zinc collar round 

 the crown and protect from spring 

 frosts. The plant early forces its way 

 up even through the frost-bound earth, 

 but the tender flower-spike, tender only in 

 infancy, is nipped in the bud if rain fall 

 on it and freeze. Protection also from 

 cutting winds which destroy the foliage is 

 needed. With such precautions and 

 planted in loam, deep, but not too stiff, 

 in a well-drained sunny border, and with 

 an occasional dose of weak liquid manure, 

 they will repay one for all the care given 

 to them." 



E. Aitchisonii. A fine kind from 

 Afghanistan, where it grows on ridges 

 of the hills nearly 12,000 ft. above sea- 

 level, bearing in June dense spikes of pale 

 reddish flowers, robust, and on "stems 

 from 3 to 5 ft. high. 



E. aurantiacus. A dwarf plant, hardy, 

 flowering in April, the numerous spikes 

 of bright citron-yellow flowers giving quite 

 a character to part of the Hariab district, 

 where it is one of the commonest plants 

 on rough ground. It is the vegetable 

 of the Hariab district, upon which the 

 inhabitants depend for at least two 

 months of the year. The leaves are cut 

 from the root-stock, as close to the 

 ground as possible, and cooked. 



E. Bungei. A beautiful plant with 

 wand-like spikes of yellow flowers 2 to 3 ft. 

 high. Native of Persia, flowering in July. 

 E. himalaicus is a beautiful white- 

 flowered kind. The flower-stems are 

 4 to 8 ft. high, the dense raceme taking 

 up quite 2 ft. of the upper portion, with 

 flowers as large as a florin. It is one of 

 the hardiest and best of the known 

 kinds. It flowers in May and June and 

 is a native of the temperate Himalayas. 



E. Olgae. A dwarf kind, and one of the 

 latest to flower. The flower-stem is nearly 

 4 ft. high, and is densely set with hand- 

 some lilac flowers as large as a five- 

 shilling piece. It is certainly one of the 

 handsomest species. A native of Turke- 

 stan, flowering in June and July. 



E. robustus. One of the best known 

 m gardens with a huge flower-stem 6 to 

 10 ft. high, bearing a dense raceme of 

 peach-shaded lilac flowers nearly 2 in. in 

 diameter. It is hardy, and may often be 

 seen fordng its shoots through frozen 

 ground. Native of Turkestan, flowering- 

 m June. D. 



Known species. They are Asiatic plants 

 colT V n g chiefly from Asia Minor, Persia, 

 Afghanistan, India, and Turkestan. E. Aitchi- 



som, Afghan. Alberti, albo-citrinus, altaicus, 

 angustifolius, anisopterus, Aucherianus, bach- 

 tiaricus, bncharicus, Bungei, cappadocicus, 

 Capusi, Griffithii, himalaicus, inderiensis, Kauf- 

 manni, Korolkoivi, luteus, Olga, persicus, 

 robustus, spectabilis, stenophyllus, Stocksii, 

 Suworowi, tauricus, turkeslanicus. 



ERIANTHUS.-A fine Grass from S. 

 Europe, E. Ravenna is somewhat like the 

 Pampas Grass in habit, but smaller in 

 size, having violet-tinged leaves. The 

 flowering stems grow from 5 to 6 ft. high, 

 but as it only flowers with us m a very 

 warm season, it must be valued for its 

 foliage alone. Its dense tufts are strongest 

 with us m light or warm soil, in positions 

 with a south aspect. It is poor on cold 

 soils, and will probably not grow well north 

 of London. It is fitted for association 

 with such Grasses as Arundo conspicua. 

 Division of the tufts in spring or autumn. 

 E. strictus is another species, but is not 

 so good as E. Ravenna. 



ERICA (Heath}. Beautiful shrubs, of 

 which the kinds that are wild in Europe 

 are very precious for gardens. We should 

 take more hints from our own wild plants 

 and bring the hardy Heaths of Britain 

 into the garden. Why should we have 

 such things as the Alternanthera grown 

 with care and cost in hothouses, and then 

 put out in summer to make our flower 

 gardens ridiculous, while neglecting such 

 lovely hardy things as our own Heaths and 

 their many pretty varieties ? But very many 

 people do not know how happy these 

 Heaths are as garden plants, and how well 

 they mark the seasons, and for the most 

 part at a time when people go into the 

 country. Where, as in many country 

 places, the Heaths abound, there is less 

 need to cultivate them, although we 

 cultivate nothing prettier. In places 

 large enough for bold Heath gardens 

 it would be well to plant them, but 

 a small place is often large enough for 

 a few beds of hardy Heaths. Once 

 established, they need very little attention. 

 The varieties are often quite as free 

 as the wild sorts, and give delightful 

 colour in a Heath garden, which need 

 not by any means be a pretentious affair, 

 but quite simple ; for Heaths are best on 

 the nearly level ground. This group 

 of plants has as yet had but scant care, 

 and, if grown at all, is grown in a 

 aoor way and more for its "botanical 

 interest " than from any just sense of its 

 great beauty. That can only be fairly 

 udged of by those who see Heaths on 

 mountains and moors, where they are 

 among the most beautiful of plants in 

 effect in broad masses. This can hardly 

 O O 2 



